Italian rider Francesco 'Pecco' Bagnaia came within a lap of scoring Indian manufacturer Mahindra's first-ever World Championship win at the Moto3 French Grand Prix here on Sunday.
The youngster, contending for victory for much of the closely-fought 24-lap race at the Le Mans circuit, eventually crossed the line third on his Mahindra MGP3O to score the Mapfre Team Mahindra squad's first podium of the season.
He took the flag less than half a second behind eventual winner Romano Fenati and just over three-tenths of a second behind second-placed Enea Bastianini to complete an all-Italian podium.
Bagnaia, who started the race in third place, made a good getaway, slotting into second behind a fast-starting Niccolo Antonelli before seizing the lead from his compatriot in the early laps. He dropped to sixth in the middle stages, as he conserved his machinery, holding some speed in reserve before unleashing it in a late-race charge that saw him carve his way through the lead pack.
He was right back with the battling lead duo of Fenati and Bastianini before long and surged into the lead in the closing laps of the race. He held the lead as the trio crossed the line to begin the final lap but couldn't fend off Fenati's KTM and Bastianini's Honda.
The result was nonetheless the Mahindra bike's first podium of the season and the first since the Indian manufacturer deepened its commitment to the sport by becoming a full-fledged constructor.
